Hold thy hand, hold thy hand, said Robin Hood,
And let thy quarrel fall;
For here we may thrash our bones to mesh,
And get no coyn at all.
And in the forest of merry Sherwood,
Hereafter thou shalt be free.
«God a mercy for nought, my freedom I bought,
I may thank my staff, not thee....»
«I am a tanner, bold Arthur reply'd,
In Nottingham long I have wrought
And if thoul't come there, I vow and swear,
I will tan thy hide for «nought.»
«God a mercy, good fellow, said jolly Robin,
Since thou art so kind and free;
And if thou wilt tan my hide for «nought,»
I will do as much for thee.»
Then Robin took them both by the hands,
And danc'd round about the oke tree.
«For three merry men, and three merry men,
And three merry men we be.»
[148]: The difference between an absolute and limited monarchy.—A learned commendation of the politique laws of England. Latine. Je cite souvent ce second ouvrage, qui est plus complet.
[149]: Les Anglais oublient toujours d'être polis, et ne voient pas les nuances des choses. Entendez ici le courage brutal, l'instinct batailleur et indépendant. La race française, et en général la race gauloise, est peut-être, entre toutes, la plus prodigue de sa vie.
[150]: It is cowardise and lack of hartes and corage, that kepith the Frenchmen from rysyng, and not povertye; which corage no Frenche man hath like to the English man. It hath ben often seen in Englond that iij or iv thefes, for povertie, hath sett upon viij true men, and robbyd them al. But it hath not ben seen in Fraunce, that vij or viij thefes have ben hardy to robbe iij or iv true men. Wherfor it is right seld that Frenchmen be hangyd for robberye, for that thay have no hertys to do so terryble an acte. There be therfor mo men hangyd in Englond, in a yere, for robberye and manslaughter, than ther be hangid in Fraunce for such cause of crime in vij yers.—Aujourd'hui en France 42 vols sur les grands chemins contre 738 en Angleterre.—En 1843 il y avait, en Angleterre, quatre fois autant d'accusations de crimes et délits qu'en France, proportion gardée du nombre des habitants. (Moreau de Jonnès.)
[151]: Pictorial history, I, 833. Statut de Winchester, 1285. Ordonnance de 1378.